Underappreciated magic
by ScarletteQuill
Summary: Glimpses into the corporate, domestic, and relational life of Mr. & Mrs. Goblin King. 3: Lazy nights and hungry babies
1. Such Beautiful Revenge

"I know it's not fair, Howard; but that's the way it is," Sarah said calmingly into the speaker phone. She could almost hear Howard's eyes roll at another 'Sarah-ism'. They were notorious around Labrytech, and many employees felt foolish whenever her advice ended up making sense.

Sarah continued, "You will have to try and find some sort of middle ground. The sooner you both compromise, the better."

"No promises, Sarah," grumbled Howard from the other end. "But I'll call you if anything changes."

"Please do that. Thank you Howard." And she pressed her finger down on the end call button with finality. Another human resources disaster averted. Sarah hopped from her seat on top of the conference table and straightened her skirt. It was definitely time for a break. She needed coffee, chocolate, new shoes, or pretty much anything addictive to congratulate her hard work.

Before anyone could say lunch break, Sarah had flown into her corner office like a whirlwind. She lifted her coat and purse from the rack, then made a line for the bright silver doors of the elevator.

Two tantalizing feet away, the voice of Freddy Mercury sang from the depths of her purse about wanting to break free.

_Oh, the irony._

Sarah fished her beastly cell phone from her purse before it could jeopardize her image as CFO any longer and opened it to her ear.

"Labrytech, this is Sarah," came her cheery greeting through clenched teeth.

"Hey Sis. Now, don't get mad or…"

"Toby!" Her voice was surprised now, and she didn't even try to hide the annoyance. "Is something wrong with my baby girl?

"Well, not exactly." Toby's voice was still deciding if it wanted to sound like a boy or a man at that moment, no doubt adding to his awkwardness. "It's just that I –erm- lost her."

Sarah waited until the safety of elevator to unleash her vocal fury. "HOW ON EARTH COULD YOU LOSE MY DAUGHTER!!" Then she thought about what she just said, and in spite of herself, burst out laughing.

"I'm moved by your concern," said Toby dryly.

Sarah just sighed. "Toby, I ask so little of you. Babysit, keep track of her, make sure she's out of trouble. Where did we go wrong?"

"Well, what happened was, she asked me to read her a story. I turned around to get the book from the shelf. When I turned back, she was just gone. Why are you still laughing?"

"Because you were just outwitted by a four-year-old girl. If you want to be able to show your face in public again, you might want to find her."

"And no worry for the questionable safety of your youngest child?" Asked Toby skeptically.

"I can't say I'm expressly worried about her. She does know the place like the back of her hand. And…"

"Everyone around here loves her," finished Toby. "I've noticed."

"Wonderful. So now you have plenty of help to find my baby before her father gets home."

Toby's gulp was loud enough to echo in the elevator. You don't think he'll be mad; do you?"

"I think you better seriously consider whether you want a job with your brother-in-law or not before you decide to slack in your determination."

The elevator stopped at the ground floor. Sarah's heels tapped a rushed staccato as she walked through the Labrytech lobby to the parking lot and her patiently waiting Camero.

"We planned on going to dinner and an opera after work tonight. That should give you roughly, twelve and a half hours." Those last words she said with particular relish, and it was then she realized she was enjoying the image of her little brother sweating in fear.

"You're not changing your plans? You're not coming here to help? Not anything? But, but how could you? _Why?_"

"Think Toby. Think hard."

Toby just groaned.

How accidentally and beautifully she had gotten her revenge. The irony was almost too perfect. Fourteen years Sarah had held that small hunger for retribution, and now her precious daughter was delivering it to her on a platter with peach cobbler.

The elation of it all had Sarah humming along to the radio as she sped to the day camp where her other daughter was determined to learn to be a ballerina. She scrambled into the backseat, looking angelic with her chestnut hair and pink tutu, as well as laughably out of place in the sleek interior of the Camero.

"Did you have fun today Caddie?" Sarah asked, looking at her from the rear view mirror.

Caddie laughed her mischievous little laugh. "Oh yes! I think I'm getting better."

"You will have to show me later." Sarah pulled out of the parking lot. "So now what? Would you like to go home? I think your Uncle Toby needs a little help."

"With what?" asked Caddie abstractly as she fumbled with her seatbelt.

Sarah stopped at a red light. "Oh nothing. He just lost your sister."

Caddie erupted in a new fit of giggles. Sarah turned and looked back at her daughter. Her beaming smile could power a turbine. Her nose was adorably crinkled, and her eyes, mismatched blue and brown, were bright with unbridled joy. Sarah joined in the laughter, glad her girls were enjoying the joke as much as she was.

Because Caddie was there, and Caddie understood. Toby came for dinner with the family last week, and he had said that babysitting his sister's children, like solving his brother-in-law's Labyrinth, was far easier than either were purported to be. A piece of cake, in fact.

How just is revenge when the accused learns a lesson. How wonderful is revenge when your children can laugh with you.


	2. Lessons in Backstrokes and Patience

Jareth's absolute favorite thing about the apartment in the city was the pool on the eighteenth floor. At 5:30 almost every morning, he would wake up, slip out of bed, carefully as not to wake his beautiful wife, and change into his swimming trunks. He would always wait to kiss his wife goodbye until _after_ he changed, just to show off in case she did wake up.

Then he would sneak past the kids' rooms, take the elevator down the twenty floors, and stride into the blissfully empty pool. The former rogue indulged his ego slightly as he would ride down the elevator bringing only his towel and keys. There was always some chance a girl would notice him. Sarah called it wishful thinking; he preferred the term preparation.

Once Jareth dove in, there was just him and the water. There were no subjects or employees to distract. Decrees and memos were forgotten, board meetings and court ignored. And even as blissful as his family life was, Jareth savored those hours when he could tune out all the white noise and lose himself in the blue.

One such morning, he was lost in the almost worshipful trance of another lap when an odd sound came from somewhere near the entrance. Jareth popped his head out of the water.

"BANZAI!"

Two scrawny, flailing goblins came virtually out of nowhere and crashed onto his head. During the confused splashing and frantic struggle to find the way up, Jareth recalled that goblins did not normally wear Lightning McQueen and Wall-E swimming trunks of their own volition. No, that would be his own progeny.

Grabbing a floundering 'goblin' in each arm and hiking them on his shoulders, Jareth kicked to the surface. Only when the coughing and sputtering sounds faded from his ears did he look at his errant sons. To the right he saw Gareth grinning from ear to ear. To the left he saw Gregory's- rear end. With a sigh, Jareth flipped the twins around until they were both safely nestled in his arms. His face turned stern, and their smiles faded.

"What the Fyn are you doing here Boys?" he asked harshly. "Did your mother put you up to this?" _How did she get you up so early?_ Jareth had a fleeting vision of Sarah's newest Jimmy Choos flung into the Bog of Eternal Stench, but he changed his mind when remembered he paid for that particular pair.

The boys tried and failed to pull off a successful pout. That was the skill of their sisters alone. One raised eyebrow from their father told them as much. "We just wanted to play with you, Daddy," Greg admitted pitifully.

As sincere as he sounded, Jareth wasn't buying all of it. Not from his boys. "As well as scare me half to death?" He asked.

Gareth smirked, a carbon copy of his mother's. "Maybe."

"Did it happen to cross either of your minds that you haven't learned to swim?" This seemed to be a novel idea to the Goblin Princes. One cocked his head to the side as the other's brow furrowed.

Jareth shook his head at the two little tricksters. All those mischievous schemes stored under the twins' brown mop-heads were going to get them in big trouble someday, unless they learned some discipline. Well, no time like the present. Jareth walked to the edge of the pool and sat Gareth and Greg down on the edge.

"Now boys, you have to know how to swim properly before you can come with me." They hung their heads. "So I want to see you both at the door, dressed and ready, at 5:35 sharp every weekday morning." Two pairs of green eyes lit up like fairy lights. "This will not be playtime. It's a lesson. You need to know how to swim. Understood?" They shook their heads, not believing Jareth's firmness for a moment.

"All right then." Jareth took a few steps back and held his arms out. "Let's start with kicking. Oldest first, Gareth; Greg has you beat by two minutes. Wait your turn."

And that was how the twins learned to swim. Though Jareth got enough bruises and swimmer's ear to regret it ten times over, he never did. Though the twins still got in more trouble than they were worth for most of their childhood, the practices continued well into their teens.

And many years later, when Greg was the star of the school swim team and Gareth was training for the Sidhe City Games, Jareth would wonder why he ever needed that time for himself at all.


	3. Where the Heart Sleeps

The plaintive sounds of night birds and cicadas wafted through the open balcony doors. The goblin city was mostly asleep with the few insomniacs bathing streets in yellow light from the window. The only other light came from the fireflies and a lone candle on the nightstand.

Sarah shifted her weight carefully in the overstuffed wing-back. Gregory was nursing and that last thing she needed was a fussy baby tangled in her dressing gown. (or was that Gareth? It's nearly impossible in this light. Wait, never mind. Gareth just pinches. Greg _bites_.) She leaned her head back and smiled as a light breeze played with her hair. The deep violet sky wasn't giving away information regarding time, but Sarah guessed it would be a while before dawn interrupted her family's peace.

The other twin slept peacefully in the bassinet not far from her reach. The ornate cradle was made with skill and love, the woodwork crafted by a dwarf, the ornamental quartz polished by a giant, the glittering metal mobile fashioned by a knight. One of her most precious gifts indeed, aside from the children who slept in it.

A tiny yawn drew Sarah's attention to the far side of the room. Cadalyn had had a nightmare and came running into their bed just as Greg began to get fussy. Jareth now had her cradled in his arms and was reading her the story of Esther as she valiantly tried to stay awake. Jareth smiled as he brushed an errant strand of chestnut hair away from his daughter's face. She nestled back into the crook of his arm and was out before Mordecai saved the king.

Greg was done with his midnight snack and then found a way to burp in his sleep before Sarah could reposition him properly. (Manners from his father apparently.) She rolled her eyes but made no move to reunite him with Gareth, instead content to rock him and hum a wordless tune to fit the night. Jareth caught her eye and winked, knowing full well what kept her from sleep.

The apartment in the city had its advantages. No interruptions, better school system, more entertainment. The apartment in the city was an asset and a blessing, but this _place, _this_ moment in time. _It made every fight and struggle to get here worth it. It made the Divine Plan shine so much clearer. Moments like this one were so perfect they could only be described as _home._


End file.
